Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for boxer. Search instead for boxier.
Synonyms

boxer

1 American  
[bok-ser] / ˈbɒk sər /

noun

  1. a person who fights as a sport, usually with gloved fists, according to set rules; prize-fighter; pugilist.

  2. one of a German breed of medium-sized, stocky, short-haired, pug-faced dogs having a brindled or tan coat with white markings.

  3. a person or thing that packs items into boxes. box.

  4. boxers. boxer shorts.

Boxer 2 American  
[bok-ser] / ˈbɒk sər /

noun

  1. a member of a Chinese secret society that carried on an unsuccessful uprising, 1898–1900 BoxerRebellion, principally against foreigners, culminating in a siege of foreign legations in Peking (now Beijing) that was put down by an international expeditionary force.

Boxer 1 British  
/ ˈbɒksə /

noun

    1. a member of a nationalistic Chinese secret society that led an unsuccessful rebellion in 1900 against foreign interests in China

    2. ( as modifier )

      the Boxer Rebellion
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
boxer 2 British  
/ ˈbɒksə /

noun

  1. a person who boxes, either professionally or as a hobby; pugilist

  2. a medium-sized smooth-haired breed of dog with a short nose and a docked tail

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of boxer1

First recorded in 1735–45; box 2 + -er 1

Origin of Boxer2

First recorded in 1895–1900; translation of Chinese yìhé juǎn “Righteous Harmony Fist,” name of the militant policy of the yìhé tuán “Righteous Harmony Group”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sutton's guest for this weekend's four quarter-final ties is boxer and Crystal Palace fan Richard Riakporhe.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Stephen Smith, a boxer turned coach from a family of boxers - including former world champions Callum Smith and Liam Smith - says retired fighters become "vulnerable" and can feel "forgotten".

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

I first heard his name at Anaheim High School in the mid-1990s and thought my teacher was talking about Julio Cesar Chavez, the famous Mexican boxer.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

They moved on to the titular boxer in "Creed," tormented by his father's legacy, and the villainous Killmonger of "Black Panther," traumatized by being an orphan in a racist world.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

He took out a stack of boxer shorts with red and blue anchors on them.

From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.